Jim Davis, Mary Castle, Jack Elam, Michael Hall, Mitchell Kowall, Jean Inness, Charlie Hovarth and Zon Murray. Directed by William Witney.
Wanted outlaw, Black Jack Ketchum (Jack Elam) is on the run and holds up at the New Mexico ranch of one of his deceased partners. Railroad detective Matt Clarke (Jim Davis) and his partner Frankie Adams ride to the area to stop the gang's activities and save young Eddie Cullen (Michael Hall) from a hangman's noose.
Republic Pictures'; first television series to actually reach the video viewing public was STORIES OF THE CENTURY, starring Jim Davis and Mary Castle. Based loosely on newspaper accounts of frontier events and historical figures, out outlaws, the show won an Emmy Award in 1955 for "Best Western or Adventure Series." The half-hour shows were constructed around action-filled and often spectacular stock footage from previous Republic films and serials which gave the series the look of having higher production values than most television westerns of the time.
Even though on overwhelming success, only 39 episodes were produced, each of those was peppered with familiar guest stars and character actors.
Original telecast date: June 24, 1954.
